IPS officer AK Jain to be tried in Dara fake encounter case

Decks were today cleared for the trial of suspended IPS officer AK Jain in the 2006 Dara Singh fake encounter killing case, with a Rajasthan court framing charges against him for offences of murder, kidnapping, criminal conspiracy among others.

District and sessions judge PC Jain read the charges to A K Jain who pleaded not guilty and sought trial.

59-year-old Jain, who was absconding since the CBI filed a charge sheet against him last June accusing him of masterminding the fake encounter killing of liquor smuggler Dara Singh, had surrendered on February 27.

Jain, who was SP in special operation group in 2006 when the killing took place, has been charged under 302 (murder), 364 (kidnapping), 346 (wrongful confinement), 218 (public servant framing incorrect record), 193 (giving false evidence in any stage of a judicial proceeding), and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC.

There are a total 16 accused in the case. On April 24, a special CBI court had asked BJP legislator Rajendra Singh Rathore to face trial in connection with the case.

It was alleged that Rathore masterminded the fake encounter in order to support a group of gangsters that was running a liquor mafia as Dara was a considered a threat to them.

The CBI had alleged that Dara Singh was taken into illegal custody by SOG officials from Jaipur Airport and was taken to a lonely place near Amber where he was kept hostage till October 23, 2006 and killed in a planned manner.